


Fragments of Feeling

by FaultyParagon



Series: NieR: To Be Human [1]
Category: NieR: Automata (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Drama & Romance, Eventual Happy Ending, Eventual Romance, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gen, NieR: Automata Spoilers, Philosophy, Romance, Science Fiction, Tragedy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-11
Updated: 2019-10-05
Packaged: 2020-10-14 10:44:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 26
Words: 2,817
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20599463
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FaultyParagon/pseuds/FaultyParagon
Summary: 2B and 9S are on a journey to learn how to hide the emotions they are prohibited to display.This story is told in 26 alphabetized snapshots.-Full spoilers for the series.





	1. Ankle

**Author's Note:**

> This is an alphabetical drabble challenge I wrote around 2 years ago on my FF.net account, and am finally cross-posting over.

-[A]nkle-

After the last machines fell, the rain ceased, revealing their soaked armour as the clouds parted. "We'll dry ourselves off here," she motioned, stripping off waterlogged garments to dry in the sun.

He froze, eyes transfixed to the sight of pale, creamy skin stretched taut over the sharp joint of her ankle.

She flexed her toes. "No water damage. And you, 9S?"

His eyes, still glued to her unmarked legs, took in the sight of a bootless 2B for the first time. "…No damage here."

Trailing down the slender curve, the small dip behind her knee, strong calves, that _sharpness-_


	2. Broken

-[B]roken-

"Thank you for the new part!" the machine called, waving goodbye with its newly attached arm as the YoRHa soldiers walked away.

9S mused aloud, "It must be nice, being fixable like that… we sure made their day."

"We're fixable, too," 2B replied harshly, continuing her brisk pace forward. "That's what the Bunker is for. Our consciousnesses can be re-downloaded."

He paused, turned around, saw a small figure in the distance dancing in… glee?

"Yeah, but… have we ever been so relieved to be repaired?"

"It only wants to survive with the one vessel it has."

He turned away from the machine, following his partner, nonchalant. "I'd like to love a body that much, too."

She didn't respond.


	3. Candid

-[C]andid-

"Well, Emil certainly thinks that these ruins are full of treasure," 9S sighed, taking a seat upon a fallen rock. "I don't see how, though; look at this place! It's a dump!"

As usual, his partner remained silent throughout his conjecture. He didn't mind, though.

Sighing, he rested his chin in his hands, feet swinging lightly from the ledge. "He's not normal, is he?"

"No, he's certainly not," she replied quietly, continuing their search. "But maybe…"

"Maybe?"

The world was silent, the air dense… but the rays of sunlight coming through crumbling stone shone brighter than anything they had ever seen before.

_Maybe Emil knows what it means to "find beauty" in the world._

"Nothing."

The search continued.


	4. Drunk

-[D]runk-

_Static–noise–circuits overflowing–shit what is going onwhatishappeningtome-2B help me-_

Those thirty seconds were the most intense thirty seconds he had ever felt during existence.

"…S? 9S! Can you hear me? Shit, 9S! Pod, scan-"

He held up his hand, stretched his fingers, traced her cheek, silencing her words. "I'm fine," he gasped, staggering back to his feet. "Is this what humans referred to as 'being drunk'? If so, humans were crazy."

"Negative. The phrase you speak of refers to a diluted ethanol-based beverage consumed for human leisure." The Pod is precise, unfeeling.

"Whatever. An E-Drug, right? Let's not do that again." He stood, brushed off his jacket, walked away.

Stumbled a little.


	5. Energy

-[E]nergy-

She found 9S hunched over by the riverbed, scanning something in utter disgust. "Is something the matter?"

The scowl melted instantly from his lips, transforming into a cheery smile. "2B! You made it back! Don't worry, I saved all your equipment!"

She squatted next to her partner. "This is…"

He sidled over, giving her full view of the glistening, scaly body writhing before them. "It was this bastard's kind that killed you, remember? I'm still pissed, you know!"

"Emotions are prohibited," she responded automatically. "This fish was once fuel to sustain human life."

"Fuel or not, you died! Thank god I backed up your data…"

_...It tasted good, though. _


	6. Fresh

-[F]resh-

"Better make sure he's actually dead next time," he commented, a smirk tugging at his lips. "That was dangerous, ma'am." He pulled his flight unit towards the remains of the Goliath's arm, taking in the proud warrior before him. Her hair swayed in the gusts of wind from his unit, soft, clean.

A flash of shock appeared in her expression, but she quickly steeled herself and continued on with the mission.

He assented, followed orders, and took off once more to scan the remainder of the perimeter. 2B stated that they shouldn't feel. Her trembling lips said otherwise.


	7. Gestalt

-[G]estalt-

"What in the world are these-"

"Whatcha talkin' about, guys?"

9S let out a little shriek, spinning to see Emil sitting precariously upon the cliff's ledge behind him. "Don't sneak up on me like-HOW DID YOU GET HERE?"

"What report do you have there, 2B?" Emil persisted, eerie smile betraying nothing.

She quickly sent a copy of the file to him, sighing at his sudden appearance. "Project Gestalt- something the humans did."

"Ah, I see-" and he paused, puttered in place momentarily, and was gone.

9S quirked a brow at his getaway. "Maybe he knows something about it?"

"Maybe." They'd never find out.


	8. Handwriting

-[H]andwriting-

His little creation took only a few moments of chiselling away at the smooth bark, but 2B still noticed his slight movements. "What are you doing?" she asked.

9S grinned, proudly showcasing the tree trunk. "There's this legend from the humans, see, where if you write two peoples' names on a tree, they'll be together forever!"

She gasped inaudibly, leaning in to examine the shaky letters etched deep into the trunk. "'9S+2B', huh," she muttered. "Your handwriting is terrible."

As he protested indignantly, she clenched her fist. They'd be together, whether she liked it or not. She was his keeper, after all.


	9. Information

-[I]nformation-

"Glory… to mankind." The salute was just like always– he couldn't wait to see what he would learn about their world, after departing for this new mission. Unfortunately, no matter how much he persisted, 2B would refuse to let him wander on his own. 9S often wondered about why his partner was so insistent on keeping an eye on him.

2B held her hand to her breast, intoning the same words in response. Her right fist was clenched tightly at her side, shaking from frustration.

Again... time to stop him from finding the truth.

..._She couldn't bear to kill him anymore._


	10. Jacket

-[J]acket-

The wind whipped their hair this way and that, icy rain unforgiving as they journeyed to the Resistance Camp. "Well, this weather sure was unexpected," 9S mentioned casually as they finally neared the hideout. "How did humans endure it when it became this cold?"

"That line of questioning is unproductive, 9S. Stay focused."

"Yes ma'am," he grinned. Suddenly, he slipped his arms around her waist, pulling her tight against his chest. She froze at the touch.

"Isn't this what humans did to warm up?" he murmured devilishly.

She pushed him off, ignoring her rising pulse rate. "Get back to work."

"Yes ma'am."


	11. Keys

-[K]eys-

"Why do we never have the right damned keycard?"

She shrugged; he pouted, the epitome of a petulant child. "2B, aren't you curious about what's in here?"

"Unless it contains the parts we need, no."

The Bunker communication line beeped, revealing an amused Operator 21O. "What is it now, Operator?" 9S groaned, frustrated by 2B's response.

The Operator grinned. "Well, at least you know you'll always have one key."

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

In the distance, 9S could make out Operator 6O's voice calling in glee, "9S has the key to 2B's heart-"

"And that's enough of that," 2B muttered, forcing the comm to shut down.

9S smiled.


	12. Lazy

-[L]azy-

"Uncle Pascal! Uncle Pascal! Come play with us!" the young robots chanted.

Pascal laughed, turning back to the YoRHa units. "If you'll excuse me, I think the children have been feeling neglected. Will you be alright on your own?"

2B nodded and turned towards the bridge exit, but 9S lingered behind. A strange feeling of warmth washed over him, looking upon the children cheering as Pascal immediately launched into a new story. The sun shone, and birds chirped melodiously around them – it was so peaceful.

"2B, could we listen to Pascal's story for a bit?"

"No."

"You're no fun."

"Good."


	13. Marbles

-[M]arbles-

"_Uncle Pascal! Uncle Pascal! Come play with us!"_

The voices ringing around them were heard by only 9S as he watched his friend kick aside the little machine heads in order to reach the ladder. The seemingly infinite corpses littered the floor, garish body parts and mangled faces leaving a trail of despair throughout the village – but Pascal paid it no mind as he wandered around, seemingly bored, confused, amidst the chaos.

That nonchalance among the bodies of the children. It made 9S's stomach churn. His foot hit metal.

Heads of dead machines, rolling around like marbles.

Playtime was over.


	14. Nicknames

-[N]icknames-

"C'mon 2B, call me Nines!"

"'9S' works fine," she muttered as they walked along the crumbling road.

He skipped in front of her, peering into her face. "Everyone else does– it'd make me really happy, y'know?" he protested.

"No."

Spinning around, he clasped his hands behind his back. "Fine. I guess I'll just have to come up with a nickname for you first. How does that sound," he smiled wickedly back at her, "huh, Tubby?"

She silently summoned her sword.

"Hey, it was just a joke 2B-"

Her cheeks were red. They shouldn't have been red.

He bit his lip, pulse racing. Maybe no nicknames for either of them.


	15. Occasion

-[O]ccasion-

"This flower is beautiful," he commented, examining the iridescent, pearly petals of the Lunar Tear in 2B's hands.

She simply nodded in awe, handing over the flower when 9s gestured for it. However, she wasn't expecting his deft fingers to tuck the stem of the flower under the band of her goggles, letting it rest in her hair.

"I remember reading that humans wore flowers on special occasions."

A raised eyebrow. "Well, what's special about right now?"

"I'm getting to see something… utterly beautiful." His smile was indescribably warm.

He wasn't talking about the flowers. She knew it, too.


	16. Patient

-[P]atient-

_I have to repair him. _That was her one thought, searing through the blaze of battle and the cries of machines. "Pod, get me staunching gel and logic-virus vaccines. Then access the-"

"Inadvisable. The subject's vital signs are too poor to attempt field repair in the current-"

"Shut up! Just do what I say!" She knew her voice was cracking, that 9S's gaze was full of misplaced sympathy… and that there was no point to her actions.

When did it become like this? When had 9S changed from her ward into something more?

Her patient coughed. Time was running out.


	17. Quartz

-[Q]uartz-

The jewels upon the costumes of each machine sparkled continuously under the spotlight, catching 9S's eye. There were hundreds of them, sewn onto every outfit with meticulous precision. It was almost impressive.

"Pod, what are those made of?"

Pod 153 whirred momentarily before beeping, "The jewels are composed of a network of silicon dioxide, found in high abundance in the earth's crust."

"Huh." He thoughtfully nudged 2B's side, grabbing her attention.

"What is it?" she asked, summoning her weapons in case he indicated danger.

"Nothing's wrong," he assured, pointing towards the actors on stage. "Just wondering – would you wear something like that?"

She released her weapons and turned away from the stage soundlessly, ignoring his calls trailing behind her.


	18. Revenge

-[R]evenge-

"You're thinking about how much you want to **** 2B, aren't you?"

That line had never made sense to 9S until that moment.

As the blade slipped out of her thin body, glistening in the sunlight, everything collapsed. His hands flew to his head, logic circuits going haywire, pain and regret and flashes of _hatred _searing him from the inside out. It wasn't supposed to end like this; her eyes, catching his, full of _love_.

"Nines…"

Her death…

…was supposed to be _his_ to enjoy.

Not A2's.

He was supposed to be 2B's destroyer. Isn't that why he was still alive?

_Unforgiveable._


	19. Stillbirth

-[S]tillbirth-

"Please save my baby," the machine wailed to the retreating YoRHa units. "Please save him, I'm begging you!"

9S paused, shifting to glance at the sobbing machine through doubtful eyes. "It calls that thing its 'baby'? What is wrong with…"

Despite his distrust, the sight of the trembling machine cradling the tiny, still machine corpse in its arms made him walk just a little faster.

2B didn't answer; 9S didn't know whether that was from a lack of words for the surprising scene, or if 2B felt the same lump in her throat he suddenly found in his.

Its cries of grief followed them all the way home.


	20. Theater

-[T]heater-

As the flurry of bullets continued, flashing past 2B's and 9S's agile bodies in terrifying spurts from each crucified weapon, the music began to grow into a crescendo from the speakers alongside the stage. It rose, building and building until suddenly, a cymbal crash allowed it all to fade, and the machine began to sing, its crude voice raw and rough and so _emotional_ that it absolutely terrified the YoRHa units. The words were distant, just as uncanny and unfamiliar as the image before them; but there was no denying its untamed beauty, spiraling amidst the torrent of death.

_Simone._


	21. Usurper

-[U]surper-

The dying android laughed, coughed, gasped for air, watched 9S. "Why were we born?"

_Don't say the same things-_

"Why is life... so painful?"

_I don't know- _2B was looking at him concernedly, _don't look-_

"We were created to fight."

_Don't act like that machine-_

Her voice rose. "None of us in this world are loved! This world has no need for us!" She stood, tattered and bloody, eyes without a trace of red to be seen.

_You're not infected with a logic virus, so don't be like that machine, please-_

She began to cry. "There is only one solution..." and she let her body fall backwards into the raging waters below.


	22. Victory

-[V]ictory-

And as her blade pierced his metal framework, driving itself between his eyes, staining the machine's pale hair a disturbing crimson from reddish oil leaking from severed logic circuits, 2B shuddered. Everything hurt, everything ached; she could barely see, goggles filled with static, limbs hanging heavy and sword too wearying a burden on her body.

But it was his words which ruined the taste of victory for the YoRHa forces, the victory which she should've been celebrating, which would give all the androids a fighting chance.

"Brother," Eve had whispered.

She imagined losing 9S forever. She knew this machine's pain.


	23. Wetness

-[W]etness-

_I've been here before. _

Her hands, always so graceful, so refined, stretched long fingers around his neck, the touch tentative and unsure. He felt her weight resting upon his abdomen, looked up through the blinding red static filling his optical sensors; he saw her face, so full of anguish, despair, the imitation tears rolling endlessly down her cheeks and dripping into the wiring revealing itself in his face from under his crumbling skin.

He imagined how wonderful it would be like to be in her place, hands wrapped around her strained, thin throat, squeezing down with the same force. He didn't want to imagine it. He didn't want her to cry when he killed her one day.


	24. Xenophobic

-[X]enophobic-

"What do you mean, humans were 'different races'?"

"Depending on latitudinal position, a specific hormone could accumulate in order to improve absorption of vitamins. This hormone caused skin to darken to various shades of peach to brown."

9S paused, holding his hand out before him, examining pale skin. "So, people were different colours? That's pretty neat. Were there other effects?"

The Pod continued data processing from the archive. "It is recorded that there were certain societal stigmas against those with darker skin tones throughout human history."

"But why? Weren't they all still human?"

The records held no reason. It hurt 9S, somehow.


	25. Yearning

-[Y]earning-

_Isn't that right, Kainé? Even if it's pointless, you still have to do it! Because this is the world my friend tried to save!_ Emil's voice had cracked before the explosion.

_And I especially didn't want to lose you. So let's go somewhere quiet. Together. _It had been such a simple wish, born from a simple machine who loved his brother.

_I want him… I mean…_ Her voice would follow him forever. He didn't mind.

There was so much want in this world, but was there anyone who had found peace?

He bit his lip, looked away from the soulless flight unit. He didn't know anymore.


	26. Zealous

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And this is the last one. Thanks for reading it to this point - please let me know what you thought of it! I love exploring these two.
> 
> The sequel collection, _Of Spare Parts (and their echoes)_, is up.

-[Z]ealous-

Her skin was a little torn, her clothing ragged, hair strewn across her face haphazardly. He reached out, cupping her face, thumb gently stroking her lower lip. His movements were jerky, pain searing up his arm and numbing his processors, but he didn't mind.

Her eyes fluttered open, and something in his heart fluttered back. He had awoken to those brilliant stormy eyes many times before, but it was different this time; all the anger, the sadness… it was all gone.

They smiled at one another. She brought her hand up. Brushed his cheek. Breathed his name.

9S, 2B; united; together again.

There was a new future to search for at the end of the horizon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think!

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you think in the comments!


End file.
